Category: Sports

JOHANNESBURG, Sept 9, 2007 (AFP) – Pakistan warmed up for the Twenty20 world championships with a five-wicket win over World Cup finalists Sri Lanka in a practice match here on Sunday.The world championships open on Tuesday with hosts South Africa battling the West Indies at the Wanderers here. Mohammad Hafeez led the way with an […]

Sept 8, 2007 (AFP) – Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapakse has asked the country’s sports minister to investigate all-rounder Upul Chandana’s hasty retirement. “The president asked me to go into the reasons which led Chandana to announce his retirement,” Gamini Lokuge told AFP Saturday. Lokuge said he would invite Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) officials and […]

Sept 8, 2007 (AFP) – A top Sri Lankan cricket official will attend a meeting of the Indian Cricket Board next week to discuss a new league being floated to counter a controversial rebel series. “We have been asked to come and I will represent Sri Lanka Cricket,” Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) President Jayantha Dharmadasa […]

NEW YORK, Sept 6, 2007 (AFP) – Serb shot-maker Novak Djokovic and Spanish grafter David Ferrer on Thursday set up a US semi-final showdown for a possible challenge to top seed and defending champion Roger Federer.Dvkovic, the 20-year-old revelation of the year, showed remarkable composure in defeating Spanish veteran Carlos Moya 6-4, 7-6 (9/7), 6-1. […]

NEW YORK, Sept 5, 2007 (AFP) – Andy Roddick has tested Roger Federer, even forced the world number one to make some astonishing shots.But for the 14th time in 15 matches, the top US player could not beat the Swiss tennis magician. Three-time defending champion Federer beat Roddick for the 10th time in a row […]

Sept 5, 2007 (AFP) – Sri Lanka have the resources to win the world Twenty20 crown despite the absence of star off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan, their captain said Wednesday before leaving for South Africa. Skipper Mahela Jayawardena said Sri Lanka, the top limited-overs team in Asia and World Cup finalists in the Caribbean in April, needed […]

Sept 5, 2007 (AFP) – All-rounder Upul Chandana, one of Sri Lanka’s 1996 world cup winning team, on Wednesday announced he had quit international cricket and accused the selectors of treating him shabbily.“I was hoping to get selected for the world cup after doing consistently well in domestic cricket. It did not happen and when […]

Sept 4, 2007 (AFP) – Sri Lankan all-rounder Upul Chandana has retired from international cricket amid speculation he will sign up with the breakaway Indian Cricket League, reports said on Tuesday.Chandana, 35, gave his decision to Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) chief executive Duleep Mendis in a letter without specifying the reason for his retirement, the […]

NEW DELHI, Sept 2, 2007 (AFP) – International cricket enters a new era of short, sharp entertainment from September 11 when the inaugural Twenty20 World Championship takes place in South Africa. Innovative strokeplay and a flurry of sixes and boundaries is the name of the 20-overs-a-side game designed for those looking for excitement, but don’t […]

OSAKA, Japan, Sept 1, 2007 (AFP) – America’s Allyson Felix named Beijing Olympics gold as her number one priority after scorching to a morale-boosting win in the world 200 metres final. The defending champion became the first woman to run under 22 seconds in eight years, smashing her personal best with 21.81 seconds as she […]

Sept 1, 2007 (AFP) – Sri Lankan cricket selectors Saturday picked uncapped off spinner Dilruwan Perera to replace the injured Muttiah Muralitharan in the ICC World Twenty-20 championships in South Africa. “It is with regret we inform our cricket fans that Muttiah Muralitharan has been compelled to pull out of the Twenty-20 World Cup squad […]

Aug 31, 2007 (AFP) – Sri Lanka’s star spin bowler Muttiah Muralitharan believes he will need just rest not surgery for his nagging shoulder injury, his manager said Friday.“He needs rest for about four weeks and physiotherapy,” manager Kushil Gunasekera told AFP. The off-spinner will return to Colombo as scheduled on Sunday from his English […]